I started a thread below but the subject line was deleted. I was surprised at the variety of information found by changing up the search criteria. I know this is K related, but there is a wealth of "new information" out there due to newly digitalized papers and magazines. . . . This first piece is an ad for American Tourist. While looking at Ford ads may not be anything more than self serving "propaganda", when a competitor mentions a car by name, that indicates to me that car is a direct threat. I've found several ads by other car makers similar to the one below, where an automaker uses other competitors names to show they have "arrived" or are equal. I'd say when the "six cylinder Ford" is one of the cars listed, they are considered a quality car. In this case, the Ford is compared with the Tourist, a 70 hp Thomas, and Stevens. Pretty good company. .

These next two have little importance, except that they are in Nebraska. Council Bluffs, the second ad, is north of me. It is a small rural community, and I can't imagine they had much for roads in early 1907. The first ad is from a dealer in Omaha, who also handles Stoddard Daytons. Again, pretty good company.

Next, a Model K wins a race and $100. I suppose this means this K loses it's "amateur status". I'm continually fascinated by the number of Model Ks I find winning and placing highly in competitions. I've found over fifty instances now. . . . This is one of many accidents I've found involving the Model K. I suspect the speed capability of the Model K was a problem for the roads and drivers of the time. Often, alcohol is involved. Guess some things haven't changed. . .

. . . A Ford six wins a 4 mile race, winning over a Moline and Tourist. The time was 4:47. . . . . .. . Hard to read, but an article talking about how busy the Ford New York showroom is with the arrival of "the great speed sensation". The story goes on to say seven six cylinder Ford sales are booked that day. . .

. . This news clip again involves Gaston Plaintiff, Ford eastern sales manager. This time, the story mentions the sales interest in the Model K following the June 1907 24 hour victory by a Model K. The story also says that ten Model Ks have been sold this week. The racer that won the race will be shown in the upcoming week, then sold, and a two year warranty is included with the sale. . . . . . . This news bit is about an owner making a difficult trip. The owner says he has owned the Model K for some time, and taken many difficult trips. This story is printed more than year after the last Model K was sold. . . .

. . Mr. Adams buys a "six cylinder Ford" in 1910 in Oklahoma. All these spots are in the order I found them over the last few days. . .

. . . A newspaper worker is stopped for speeding in Baltimore in late 1918. His vehicle is checked for "liquid refreshments" and none are found. This is in 1918. The Model K is still out there and driving fast. . .

. . Nothing significant about this. A St. Louis inventor has a tire invention where the wheel is solid and the pneumatic portion of the wheel is somehow in the middle of the wheel. This way the "tire" doesn't touch the road and so can't puncture. A Model K is the "test vehicle" with the "tires" and is driven at fast speed as a test in 1910. Again, a year since the Model K was sold as a production vehicle. . .

. . . . Another bit about a family leaving six week tour with their "six cylinder Ford". If you wish to search Model Ks, try searching Ford six, or Ford forty, because there are very few search results if searching Ford Model K. This may be one reason why few recent writers have found significant information about the "six cylinder Ford". . . .

Minneapolis MN, 1906. Minneapolis seems to be a leader in early auto racing, and this article lists new classifications. The "six cylinder Ford" is placed in the four cylinder class for cars costing $3000 or less. Others listed in the class (and I assuming racing at that time in Minneapolis) listed in order are:

Queen, six cylinder Ford, Mitchell, Stevens Duryea, Jackson, Stoddard Dayton, Winton Model K, Winton Model Q, Franklin Model D, Maxwell, Olds, Rambler, Frayer Miller and Autocar. If you've seen the Minneapolis race results I've posted earlier, the six cylinder Ford does quite well against this distinguished list of early cars. . . . . News clip about the first "six cylinder Fords" arriving in New York in April 1906. The article calls the car "the latest and greatest creation of Henry Ford". A passenger says "the car is only further evidence of Henry Ford's genius as a designer and declared the machine ran as smoothly and quietly as an electric... . .

From Bob Trevan (owner of K number 2), a period photo of a Model K "speedster". Bob pointed out the frame does not have the later "truss" rods and looks like it has a narrow radiator, indicating this was probably an early Model K. Wonder how this would do at the "speedster reunion" in Lincoln this summer?

. . . . . . . .

.A Ford Six Forty makes the drive from Kansas City to Oklahoma City. There have been a few news clips with examples of this dealer driving a model K to and from Oklahoma City from Kansas City. Of of the clips said they stopped to see Steve Jelf along the way . . .

I was watching the PBS documentary while typing this, and noticed some mistakes and typos (in my work, not the documentary ). An interesting documentary. I hope you've enjoyed seeing these bits of American History, as seen by newspaper readers during the years the articles were published.

If anyone would like to see an "experiment", I would go through newspapers randomly, and post Ford advertisements as they appear. I did this to satisfy my curiosity a while ago and was surprised by the Ford advertising choices.

Hey Rob, You have shown us that the K was a great car. ?And I belive that Henry did like the K very much. But he was a business man. And he was very good at. To show my point there is a restaurant in Los Angelus called Spago,s, Wolf Gang Puck is the owner and chef. The food is very expensive and very good. But the McDonalds down the street makes far more money. Henry was proud of the K but it took up room in the factory the was needed for the Model T. So the K put Henry in the spot light and then the T made him rich. Scott

I agree. In fact, I think the original "plan" was to bring the Model T out in the spring of 1908 while continuing the N, S and K (news and advertising along with car show appearances of the new "light touring" support this "theory".

I think the slow but evolving development of the "light touring" along with cramped space at Piquet and slow development of Highland Park made continuing the N,S and K with the new T impractical. However these are just my "theories". And we're all entitled to our theories.

A few more "tidbits" I found last evening: . . This spot talks about Henry Ford being the "originator" of the six cylinder car in the US. It goes on to say "the wonderful popularity of this type of car is shown by rapidly increasing popularity....." The article finishes with "the plant is working day and night in an effort to keep up with demand".

This is the third article I've found from 1906 that mentions Ford increasing shifts to keep pace with demand for the Ford six". . . . . This spot is about a tour with the ""big double seated Ford". They start in Nashville TN and are driving to Paducah KY. This is an early 1906 Model K (April 1906). . .

one of my favorites. Stan Howe will like this one, being an old "sheep herder" from way back .

A father and son, two of the "leading sheep owners in the west" are driving to Albuquerque NM from Denver in a "big Ford touring car (K). . .

. . . Not nearly as informative as the other "contest" found earlier, but it appears a Model K is the lead prize. Thirteen "Ladies are going to win" prizes, including first prize, a "big five passenger Ford automobile". The paper goes on to say "will be on display in a short time, and we want every contestant to see it and satisfy herself how really grand this car is".

This contest takes place after October 26 1909, however the way the Ford is mentioned, "big five passenger Ford" and "how really grand this car is" lead me to believe they are giving away a Model K, not the new Model T. However, I don't know for sure. I've looked for successive articles showing the winner and car, but not found one yet. . .

I found this July 1908 Ford ad interesting. If true, Ford seems to be on track with about a 10 to 1 sales ratio of NRS runabouts to six cylinder cars. Ford originally contracted for 10,000 NRS chassis and 1,000 Model K chassis. . .

Thanks for the comment. The great thing about posting "old" news ads and advertising, there are no witnesses, they're all gone. Actually, the good thing is, this is what people said and reported at the time. Fifty to one hundred and ten years later, anyone can say anything they wish. the people who "lived it" only get to speak once.

Rob, I was browsing through a paper that discussed Ford's influence in Denmark which where illustrated with all sorts of old Danish ads and front pages of Ford News etc etc. Following your K odyssey I could not help wonder if Ford sold any Model K's in Denmark and if they at all was marketed here.

Well - then I stumpled over this advertisment from the North European/Scandinavian agent for Ford in the early years - F. Bülow & Co, Copenhagen: